Bioscience
A newly released study from the Environment Agency calls on government to act now to instigate public reporting by companies in the renewable fuel power generation sector.
A wide ranging study commissioned by the agency reveals anomalies in the sector that are sometimes resulting, alarmingly, in an increase in carbon emissions when compared to the burning of fossil fuels.
In the race to develop renewable energy sources, the development of biomass fuels, both in the form of agricultural waste and purpose grown crops, to be burned for electricity generation has become a major area of activity. The obvious attraction is the simplicity of adapting. To replace one combustion fuel with another is a less daunting move than a switch to wind, thermal, marine or solar for example. The problem is, as the new report highlights, not all renewable fuel power sites are better for the environment.
To cite one example, at some stations, burning pelletized straw can actually result in a 30 percent increase in CO2 emissions over simply burning gas. The issue is the “hidden” factors and it is these that the Environment Agency is demanding be made public in a transparent reporting system for the industry.
The agency’s report points out that the straw for fuel is often grown on previously fallow land so a natural carbon sink is lost. Further, this land is usually treated with high nitrogen content fertiliser which is a massive energy consumer. Then the energy requirement to process the straw and to transport it, sometimes thousands of kilometres, has to be taken into account. The end result is a net increase in carbon emissions from a site that previously burned gas.
The agency also sheds light on the most desirable results being achieved by those power generators who are adopting best practice procedures. It states that when the right renewable fuel is used in the right way, carbon emissions can be reduced by 98 percent as against a coal burning facility.
One third of 2020 targets could be achieved
If the entire renewable fuel power generation sector could adopt what are currently viewed as best practices for the industry, then fully one third of the 2020 emission reduction commitment made by the UK would be met.
But best practice involves more than selecting the most efficient renewable fuel source. The report calls for power generation to take on the complimentary role of “heat producers”. Heat that is now dissipated as a waste by product would be harvested and applied for various applications including space heating and water distillation among others. Many manufacturing processes currently spend money, fuel and carbon emissions generating heat that is going to waste at nearby electricity generating sites.
To encourage power generators to move to best practice, the Agency asks that a transparent reporting system requiring operators to audit in detail the net effect of their renewable fuel use, including the actual costs in terms of both energy and emissions at every stage of growing, processing and transportation, be immediately introduced. It goes further to suggest that if transparency and accountability do not result in the required improvements, that government standards be introduced and enforced.
The Environment Agency is requesting the UK government to implement new rules to bring in new reporting strategies to clarify and instigate best practices for the fledgling renewable fuel power generation sector.
They claim that with the current rules anomalies mean that biomass fuel is actually more polluting than traditional “dirty” fuels.
Original stories
http://newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=2501§ion=Bioenergy%20%26%20Waste
http://www.nce.co.uk/home/energy/environment-agency-questions-green-credentials-of-biomass/5200341.article